Quick operating flushing apparatus



' May 7, 1957 H. KATZ 2,791,234

; QUICK OPERATING FLUSHING APPARATUS Ofiginal Filed Jan. 2. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR F I Harry Katz V BY ATTORNEY nited States Continuation of abandoned application Serial No. 329,374, January 2, 1953. This appiication December 5, 1955, Serial No. 550,914

8 Ciaims. (Cl. 137416) This invention relates to an improvement in quick operating flushing apparatus and deals particularly with a means of accelerating the speed of closing the float valve in a flush tank or the like.

In my previously issued Patent No. 2,592,908 issued April 15, 1952, I described a removable tank which was secured within the flush tank of a toilet for accelerating the speed of closing the float valve. The present invention is designed for use in new flush tanks which are specially built to accommodate the apparatus. This invention is a continuation of my application Serial No. 329,374, filed January 2, 1953, now abandoned.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a quick operating float valve device which is simple to produce and inexpensive to add to a flush tank. Devices of the type in question are extremely competitive from a price standpoint and it is important that the cost of production be maintained at a minimum. The purpose of the present invention resides in the provision of a device which can be produced at low cost and therefore is not prohibitive from a cost standpoint.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a flush tank having a partition therein to divide the tank into a main tank body and an auxiliary tank. The auxiliary tank is provided with an "aperture in the partition wall and an elbow is secured in this aperture to connect the two tanks. This elbow is directed downwardly and .a float valve is interposed between the lower end of the elbow and the bottom of the main tank. This float valve seals the elbow so that liquid does not enter the auxiliary tank until the main tank is substantially full. The auxiliary tank then fills quickly to raisethe float at a much more rapid rate than is normal so that the float valve is more quickly closed than in structures of the usual type.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the float valve which closes the elbow may comprise a resilient ball of material less dense than water and which is sufliciently resilient so that it can be forced beneath the lower end of the elbow into operating position. As a result this ball may be easily inserted or replaced without the use of tools for the purpose.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective-view of a flush tank shown partially in section and showing the arrangement of parts therein.r

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a portion of the flush tank shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional detail of the upper end of the elbow showing the manner in which it is attached to the partition wall.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the tank parallel to an end thereof showing the arrangement of a float therein.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing a modified form of construction.

2,791,284 Patented May 7, 1957 Figure 6 is a sectional view parallel to an end of the flush tank showing the modified form of construction shown in Figure 5.

The flush tank is indicated in general by the letter A and is of any suitable size and shape. The flush tank illustrated is shown as including a bottom wall 10, and walls 1 1 and 12, a rear wall 13, and a front wall 14. The tank body is provided with an open top which is normally closed bya cover panel 15 having depending marginal guide flanges 16 thereupon. The tank is provided with a water inlet 17 which extends through the bottom of the tank and. is provided at its upper extremity with a valve 19 which controls the water entering the tank. The tank outlet 20 is controlled by a ball check valve 21 which is actuated by a valve rod 22 which in turn is controlled by a suitable manually operated handle or other suitable means not illustrated in the drawings for the purpose of simplicity. An overflow pipe 23 extends upwardly from the bottom of the tank and acts to prevent overfilling of the tank in the event the valve 19 should fail to function properly. The overflow pipe 23 is connected to the discharge pipe 2% beneath the tank or to any other suitable drain.

A partition wall 24 is provided within the tank spaced from the end wall 12. The partition 24 divides the tank into a main tank 25 and an auxiliary tank 26. The main tank 25 includes the inlet, the overflow pipe and the discharge, and is relatively large, while the auxiliary tank is small in size.

The valve l3 controlling the inlet is actuated by means of a float arm 27 connected pivotally at 2-9 to a float 31 located within the auxiliary tank 26. In order to adapt the apparatus to existing inlet valves the float arm extends downwardly into the main tank 25 and is then bent upwardly and laterally to extend over the top of the partition wall 24. Obviously, however, the arm could be straight it the float-valve 19 were designed to accept such a straight arm.

The partition wall 24 is provided with an aperture 31 'therethrough at a point spaced from the bottom wall 10. An elbow 32 has a laterally extending end 33 which extends through the partition wall 24 and is secured in place by lock nuts such as 34 provided with suitable gaskets 35 (see Figure 3) which prevents leakage through the opening 31 when the elbow is sealed.

The elbow 32 is provided with a vertically extending lower end 36 which supports an outwardly flared or belied extremity 37. This extremity 37 may be integral with the elbow '32 or may be attached thereto. The lower end 39 of the belied lower end 37 is spaced from the bottom wall 10 a distance slightly less than the diameter of the float ball 40. The float ball 40 is preferably formed of a material which is sutficiently resilient to permit the ball to be compressed and forced beneath the lower edge 39 of the bell without removing the elbow. However, in the absence of any manual compressive force upon the ball, it will be retained in place by the ball shaped end 37.

The float ball 40 is of a density less than the density of water so that it has a tendency to raise when the tank is full. However, when the tank is emptied, the ball will rest upon the bottom wall 10 of the tank.

The operation of the device is simple. When the tank is flushed by opening the valve 21, the water from the main tank quickly drains from the tank. When the level of the water in the main tank lowers sufliciently, the float ball 40 will also lower, allowing the water to drain from the auxiliary tank to the level of the elbow 32. As a result substantially all of the water in the main tank and most of the water in the auxiliary tank will quickly drain from the flushing tank to flush the toilet.

As soon as the tanks are empty the valve 21 closes in the customary manner. The lowering of the float 30 within the auxiliary tank acts to open the float valve 19 and to permit water to enter the main tank. As the level of water rises in the main tank, the float valve 40 rises in the belled end 37 of the elbow and acts to seal the lower end of the elbow. Thus no water will enter the auxiliary tank until the main tank is filled to the level of the upper edge of the partition 24. At this time water will spill over the upper edge of the partition wall and fill the auxiliary tank. Due to the small capacity of the auxiliary tank, the filling of this tank is extremely rapid. As a result the float 30 raises quickly and the valve 19 is shut off with a much quicker action than could otherwise be possible.

In the construction illustrated in Figures and 6 of the drawings a similar action takes place. This construction is virtually identical with the previously described construction, with the exception of the fact that the auxiliary tank is provided with a bottom wall which is above the level of the bottom of the main tank so that water will not be trapped in any quantity below the level of the elbow. The tank B is shown as including a rectangular body similar to that previously described and including a bottom wall 41, end walls such as 42 and 43, a rear wall 44 and a front wall 45. A partition wall 46 extends upwardly from the bottom wall 41 at a point spaced from, but relatively close to the end wall 42. The partition wall 46 forms a partition between the ends of the tank, providing a main chamber 47 and an auxiliary chamber 49. The auxiliary chamber 49 is relatively small as compared to the main chamber 47. Both the lower end and the upper end of the area between the partition wall 46 and the end wall 42 are open and a false bottom or bottom partition 50 is provided to close the lower end of the auxiliary chamber 49, this partition 50 being spaced substantially above the level of the bottom wall 41.

An elbow 51 is provided with an end 52 which extends through the partition wall 46 near the level of the bottom 50 of the auxiliary chamber and this elbow is held in place as in the previous construtcion by lock nuts 53 and suitable gaskets. The elbow is provided with a down-turned end 54 provided with a bell shaped extremity 55 or a flared end which is spaced from the bottom 41 of the main chamber 47 a distance slightly less than the diameter of the float ball 56.

The float 30 pivotally connected at 31 to the float arm 27 functions as in the previously described construction. It will be seen that the structure of Figure 5 differs from the other construction described only in the provision of the partition wall 50 substantially above the level of the bottom of the main chamber 47.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my quick operating flushing apparatus, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A quick acting flushing device for flush tanks including a tank provided with sidewalls, end Walls and a bottom wall and having a vertical partition therein extending upwardly from the bottom of said tank and dividing the tank into a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber with their bottom wall on the same plane, said partition having an opening therethrough, a tubular member secured to said partition wall and extending outwardly and downwardly into spaced relation to the bottom of the main chamber, and a float valve interposed between said downwardly extending tubular member and the bottom of the main chamber.

2. A flushing device for flush tanks including a tank having a partition therein dividing the tank into a main chamber and a relatively small auxiliary chamber, said partition having an opening therethrough, an elbow secured to said partition wall at said opening to receive fluid from said auxiliary chamber, an outwardly flared lower extremity on said elbow and a float valve between said outwardly flared end and the bottom of the main chamber, said float valve being normally larger than the distance between said flared end and the bottom.

3. The construction described in claim 2 and in which the float valve is a ball of greater diameter than the distance between the lower end of the elbow and the bottom of the main chamber, and the float ball is formed of material sufficiently resilient to pass beneath the lower end of said elbow and the bottom of said main chamber upon compression thereof.

4. The construction described in claim 2 and in which the bottom of the main chamber and the bottom of the auxiliary chamber are on substantially the same plane.

5. The construction described in claim 2 and in which the bottom of the auxiliary chamber is substantially above the level of the bottom of the main chamber.

6. A quick acting flushing device for flush tanks including a tank having a water inlet, a water outlet and valve means controlling the inlet and outlet, the tank including a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber, an opening in the side wall of the auxiliary chamber, an elbow secured to said wall at said opening and forming a communication between the auxiliary chamber and the main chamber, said elbow extending downwardly into spaced relation with the bottom of the main chamber, a flared lower end on said elbow and a float ball interposed between said elbow and the bottom of the main chamber, said float ball being normally of larger diameter than the distance between said elbow and bottom vertically movable to seal the lower end of said elbow, and float means within said auxiliary chamber connected to the inlet valve to actuate the same.

7. A quick acting flushing device for flush tanks including a tank having a water inlet, a water outlet and valve means controlling the inlet and outlet, the tank including a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber, an opening in the side wall of the auxiliary chamber, an elbow secured to said wall at said opening and forming a communication between the auxiliary chamber and the main chamber, said elbow extending outwardly and downwardly into spaced relation with the bottom of the main chamber, a flared lower end on said elbow and a float ball interposed between the said lower end of said elbow and the bottom of the main chamber, said float ball being vertically movable with a rising level of an inflow of water into said main chamber to seal the lower end of said elbow and float means within said auxiliary chamber connectedto the inlet valve to actuate the same.

8. A flushing device for a flush tank having a water inlet and a water outlet consisting in combination of a flush tank, an inlet valve controlling the flow of water into said tank, a vertical partition wall therein dividing the said tank into a main chamber and a relatively small auxiliary chamber, said partition having an opening therethrough, a tubular member secured to said partition wall at said opening to receive fluid from said auxiliary chamber, said tubular member extending outwardly and downwardly and forming. a valve seat in spaced relationship to the bottom of the main chamber and adjacent the water outlet of said flush tank, and a float valve movable with a rising level of Water in said main chamber closing said valve seat at the lower end of said tubular member to the passage of water therethrough, and float means within said auxiliary chamber connected to the inlet valve to actuate the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,592,908 Katz Apr. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 826,126 Germany 1949 

